iDon't Wanna Be In Love
by liz-beth531
Summary: Sequel to iOnly Wanna Be With You! Spencer gets married. Sam hides something that will change her life forever. There will be Seddie in later chapters!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Sorry this took so long guys. My mom's computer is really stupid and doesn't like to connect to the internet at random times. Plus, I was thinking of a way I could possibly start this story. Anyway…sorry for the wait! Here's the sequel to iOnly Wanna Be With You!!**

CHAPTER 1

"All the art of living lies in a fine mingling of of letting go and holding on."

~Henry Ellis

The clock in the classroom seemed to be stopped at 1:59. The professor was droning on about a math topic that Sam wasn't interested in at all. She drummed her pencil nervously on her desk, still contemplating why she showed up for this class today. She stared at the clock, willing the minute hand to make that final click to the 12. As soon as it did, Sam was out of her seat, running out of the classroom, down the hall, and out the building, attempting to dodge people as she went. She dashed across campus as fast as her legs would carry her, making a beeline towards the end of campus where her small town house stood. The cool November air whipped through her hair and stung her skin, but she clenched her teeth and ignored it, continuing to run full force towards her building. She reached the edge of campus and darted across the street, not bothering to look for oncoming traffic. A few car horns blared out at her, but she had more important things to worry about. Finally, she reached her small house and yanked on the door with enough force to almost pop her shoulder out of its socket. She grumbled, realizing she had forgotten to unlock the door. She dug her hands into her pocket and pulled out a small golden key, fumbling slightly to fit it into the lock. Finally it fit in, and she turned the key, hearing the satisfying click of the door being unlocked. She yanked it once more and flew into the main hallway. Directly in front of her was the door to the first floor. It was closed, and no sounds could be heard from behind it. To the right was a set of stairs that led up to the second floor, the one she shared with her room mate. She took the stairs, two at a time until she reached the second floor. She grabbed the door knob of her floor aggresively and burst through, gasping for air.

"You're back early," her room mate, Stacy, mused from the sofa. She was laying on her stomach, the newest copy of Time Magazine spread underneath her. Stacy was a journalist major, and was always found reading whatever news article she could get her hands on. Sam nodded to her comment, holding up her hand to signal she agreed. She stood with her hands on her knees, her breathing still too hard and rapid to manage a coherant response. "What's wrong with you?" Stacy asked. Sam didn't answer as she made her way over to her closet, rifling through a few bags until she came across the little box.

"Going pee," Sam announced as she quickly made her way to the bathroom.

"Have fun," Stacy called unenthusiastically from the couch. The bathroom door slammed shut in response. Stacy shook her head and rolled her eyes. She and Sam had been room mates for over a year now, and Stacy still couldn't begin to understand her. She turned back to her article in Time and began reading. When she finally turned the page, she noted that Sam had been in the bathroom for nearly ten minutes.

"Sam?" Stacy called nervously. There was no response. She slid off the sofa and began walking towards the bathroom. She knocked timidly on the door. "Sam, you alright?" Slowly, the door opened, revealing a Sam that Stacy had never seen. Her eyes were wide and bloodshot, glazed over with a look of staring into space. Her mouth hung half open, attempting to form some kind of sentence, but failing miserably. Stacy waved her hand in front of Sam's face, hoping to get her attention. Slowly, Sam turned her gaze towards Stacy.

"Sam, you look like you just went through hell and back," Stacy observed. "What happened?" With shaking hands, Sam held up the device she had been clutching tightly in her hand.

"There's two little pink lines," Sam said so quietly that Stacy almost missed it. Stacy's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Stacy," Sam said sternly, her voice beginning to quiver, "it means I'm pregnant." Stacy's mouth dropped open. She began stuttering, searching desperately for something to say.

"Are…are you sure? I mean, those things fail sometimes…"

"Stacy," Sam cut her off, her former self beginning to show again, "I haven't had my period since July, and it's November. I've read up on the symptoms online, and I have most of them. Morning sickness, frequent urination, sudden cravings, mood swings…"

"You've always had sudden cravings," Stacy commented. Sam scowled, her eyes piercing through Stacy.

"You're really going to try to convince me I'm not pregnant?" Sam growled. Stacy quicly shook her head. While Sam was one of her best friends, Stacy feared the girl more than anything.

"What are you gonna do?" Stacy finally asked. Sam sighed, shaking her head.

"I have no idea," she admitted.

"Well, you could abort…" If looks could kill, Stacy would've been dead ten times over.

"There is no way in hell I am going to kill my unborn baby child," Sam seethed through clenched teeth.

"Or adoption," Stacy said quickly, trying to cover up her first suggestion. "There are plenty of people out there who would love to have a child of their own but can't." Sam's glare seemed to lighten as she considered the possibility. Adoption would give her child the chance to grow up in a normal life with normal parents. He wouldn't be under the wing of an unmarried college junior who could barely afford her rent, let alone diapers, bottels, formula, etc.

"I guess I could look into it," Sam mumbled. "I mean, I couldn't afford to keep it." She looked down on the floor, blinking rapidly to try to stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks.

"Wow, they weren't kidding about mood swings," Stacy muttered. Sam nodded, not caring enough to say anything back.

"First things first," Sam said quietly, wiping the lingering tears away from her eyes, "I need to call Freddie." She walked over to the couch, pulling out her cell phone.

"How do you think he'll take it?" Stacy asked, sitting on the couch next to Sam. She shrugged, dialing the familiar number.

"Probably very badly," Sam replied, putting the phone up to hear ear. An all-too-familiar voice answered, causing Sam to almost forget why she had called in the first place.

"Hey sweetie," he answered in his deep, baritone voice. Sam felt her heart melting. Even after so much time together, just hearing Freddie's voice still had that effect on her. "I was just on my way over to check up on my favorite girl." Ever since she and Freddie had gotten back together, Sam transferred colleges so she could be with him all the time. She felt herself smile at the thought of seeing him for the first time in a few days. She shook her head, remembering why she'd called him.

"Freddie, we need to talk."

"That doesn't sound good," he answered, his voice suddenly sounding nervous.

"There's a reason for that," she replied, sighing and resting her head back against the couch.

"I'll be over in like two minutes and we can talk," he said quickly. "I'll see you soon, alright? I love you." Sam felt the tears fill her eyes again.

"I love you too," she replied. She heard Freddie sigh in relief. "What?"

"You said you love me too, that obviously means you're not dumping me." The tears began to roll down Sam's eyes. She didn't care enough to brush them away.

"That's the problem," Sam choked out, struggling to form the words, "I am."

**A/N: Just so there's no confusion about the time period, they're currently in their junior year of college. This story will go back and fourth in time. So, the present is during their junior year in college, and the past is during the summer…a year after Sam and Freddie got back together. Hope that clears things up about the time. And don't hate me for this chapter, I had to put it in to fit the story. R&R!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Forgot to say this on the last chapter :-O. Don't own iCarly!! **

CHAPTER 2

"Love is all we have, the only way that we can help each other."

~Euripodes

~*5 Months Ago*~

"Man, that flight was too long," Sam yawned, putting her hands on the small of her back and leaning backwards. She smiled as she heard a satisfying crack up her spine.

"I agree," Freddie said, standing on his toes and stretching. They walked down the hallway towards baggage claim, Freddie's arm hung loosely around Sam's waist. They arrived at baggage claim as the suitcases began to make their way around the spiral belt. Sam spotted her bright yellow duffel bag and lifted it off the belt with a grunt.

"Need some help with that, babe?" Freddie asked from behind her. Sam whipped around to look at him, slinging the bag over her right shoulder.

"I can handle myself," she said gently. Freddie shrugged, not expecting a much different answer from her. He pulled his own suitcase off the conveyor belt, pulling out the handle to wheel it across the floor. His hand reached for Sam's, his fingers lacing tightly with her's.

"This seems uncomfortably familiar," Sam said as they made their way towards the main waiting area. Freddie remained silent, afraid to say anything that could bring back harmful memories of her ex boyfriend, Jason. They finally emerged through the security exit amongst a crowd of people. Sam was the first to spot the familiar brunette sitting on a bench, staring at the mob of people.

"There she is," Sam said nervously, making her way towards Carly with Freddie close behind her.

"I thought you guys made up," Freddie whispered as they got closer to her.

"We did, but I haven't spoken to her since last summer," Sam whispered back. They finally arrived at the spot Carly was sitting. There were no screams and no hugs this time, only mere verbal greetings.

"Hi Carls," Sam said, nodding towards her. Carly nodded back.

"Hey Sam." She smiled up at Freddie; Sam could tell it was very forced. "It's great to see you guys."

"Same here," Freddie answered. "It's been a while." Carly nodded.

"Well, you're both here so I guess we'd better get going." She stood up and made her way towards the exit, Sam and Freddie following behind her. Carly hailed a cab, and all three of them awkwardly seated themselves inside. Carly sat shotgun while Sam and Freddie shared the back. Sam reached for Freddie's hand, squeezing it nervously.

"You sure your mom is alright with me crashing at your place?" she whispered. Freddie half shrugged.

"I'll make her be alright with it," he whispered back. She sighed, laying her head on his shoulder and smiling slightly. Even through all of their drama, he knew her better than anyone else in the world. While she was one to never admit weakness, she knew there was no way she'd survive living at Carly's for the summer. She also knew that there was no way she was setting foot in her house again. She had the feeling Freddie knew all of that, even without her actually saying it.

"I love you," she whispered into his ear. He turned towards her, kissing her softly on her head.

"I love you too," he answered. The cab finally pulled into Bushwell Plaza. Carly paid the driver as Sam and Freddie unloaded their luggage from the back.

"This is complete deja-vu," Sam mumbled, lifting her bag onto her shoulder. "We're just missing an overly-jealous, abusive douche bag." Freddie wrapped his arm tightly around her, nuzzling his face into her hair.

"Don't think about him," he murmured into her blonde locks. "He never deserved someone as perfect and beautiful as you." Sam smiled, wrapping her arm around his waist and giving him a quick, tight squeeze. They began walking towards the building with Carly leading the pack. They silently made their way up the stairs towards the area of the hallway betwene Carly and Freddie's apartments. Carly stood in front of her door, crossed her arms and sighed.

"It's kind of late," she said simply. "I'll let you guys get to bed. I assume you'll be staying there." She motioned towards Freddie's apartment with her head. Sam nodded.

"It's not really that late though," she muttered in a low voice. "We can maybe stay over for a bit, say hi to Spence and stuff."

"He's probably asleep," she said a little too sternly. "He does have a wedding in a few weeks." Sam nodded.

"Well, goodnight then, I guess." Carly nodded in response and turned around, entering her apartment and closing her door too roughly. Sam groaned.

"What is with her? She's the one that screwed me over! I didn't do a damn thing to her!"

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Freddie suggested.

"She doesn't want to talk to me," Sam sighed, leaning against the door to Freddie's apartment.

"You never know until you try," Freddie said, putting his arms on either side of her and leaning towards her. Sam smiled, hitting him lightly on the arm.

"You know I can't say no to that look," she growled playfully. He smirked.

"That's why I use it," he responded, leaning towards her and placing a soft kiss on her lips. "Go talk to her," he murmured, his lips still brushing her's. She exhaled heavily and nodded.

"I'll talk to her in the morning, alright? We'll settle it then." She gently pushed Freddie backwards so she was looking up into his brown eyes. "Right now, I'm a little tired." Freddie nodded and opened his door, following Sam into his apartment.

"Mom, I'm home!" he called as if he had only been gone a few hours, not a few months. Mrs. Benson emerged from the kitchen, a half-eaten apple in her hand.

"Freddie!" she exclaimed, running over to him and throwing her arms around him he smiled, giving her a small hug back. Sam noted how much taller Freddie was than his mom now. Finally, Mrs. Benson broke the hug and turned to Sam.

"Hello dear," she cooed, giving Sam a gentle hug. "Of course, you're welcome to stay here." Freddie's mom had taken a huge liking to Sam when she and Freddie had first started dating. She claimed that she'd never seen him happier, and any girl that could do that to her son was extremely worthy of her love. Sam smiled.

"Thank you Mrs. Benson," Sam answered politely. She looked over at Freddie, trying to make eye contact with him. He looked down at her quickly and nodded. He must have told his mom about the situation before they'd arrived. Sam didn't know whether she should thank him or kick his ass. She decided she'd deal with it later.

"You kids are probably tired after such a long trip," Mrs. Benson said. "I was just going to bed anyway." She headed towards her room, nodding at the couple. "See you in the morning! Goodnight."

"Night, Mom," Freddie called as the bedroom door closed.

"So, am I sleeping with you or out here?" Sam asked. Freddie shrugged.

"Which do you prefer?" She scooted closer to him, pressing her body against the side of his.

"I prefer a nice comfy bed," she said softly, batting her eyelashed. Freddie laughed, taking her hand in his. He led her to his bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. Sam dropped her bag by the closet, pulling out an old t-shirt and a pair of boxers. She slipped into the closet, closing the doors to change.

"Like I haven't seen all of it already," Freddie called softly to her. He could almost feel her roll her eyes in response.

"You're not getting lucky tonight!" she called back, just loud enough for him to hear, but not loud enough for his mother to hear. Freddie smirked, shedding his own clothes so he was in his boxers and lying face-down on his bed, closing his eyes and sighing in content. Sam finally emerged from the closet and made her way to the bed, snuggling herself close to Freddie's half-sleeping form. He lifted and arm so she could press herself against him, and lowered his arm protectively around her.

"I love you," he mumbled drowsily. She felt her eyelids slowly flutter shut.

"I love you too," she yawned, sleep beginning to overtake her body. She heard Freddie soflty snoring in response and smiled to herself as her mind shut down for blissful sleep.

**A/N: Sorry if this chapter kind of sucked! My mom was trying to hold a conversation with me as I wrote it, so I was trying to focus on both the conversation and this chapter. Anyway, hope you liked it! R&R!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hope you guys are liking this so far! It probably won't be as long as the first one, but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, here's chapter 3! **

**Don't own iCarly.**

CHAPTER 3

"Who will tell whether one happy moment of love or the joy of breathing or walking on a bright morning and smelling the fresh air, is not worth all the suffering and effort which life implies."

~Erich Fromm

~*Present Day*~

"_That's the problem," Sam choked out, struggling to form the words, "I am." _Freddie felt his heart stop. He had stopped in his tracks, his mouth gaping as if trying to form words, but no noise came out. "Freddie?" he heard Sam's weak voice on the other end of the phone ask.

"Y-you're dumping me?" he finally managed to say. "Why?" He heard Sam sniffle on the other end.

"I have to," she sobbed.

"Sam, I love you," Freddie pleaded, as if that was all the reason she needed to not dump him.

"I love you too, and I always will, but this is for the best. Please trust me on this. We need to go our separate ways."

"But Sam…"

"Bye Freddie." He heard the phone go silent. He took it away from his ear and stared at it as if he couldn't believe what just happened. He shook his head and began to violently dial numbers, calling the first person he could think of.

"Freddie?" the confused female voice answered. "What's up?"

"Carly," Freddie said urgently, "I need your help."

"What's wrong?" she asked, sounding worried.

"With me? Nothing. With Sam…I think a lot."

"Freddie, you're talking in circles. What's going on?" Freddie sighed.

"Sam just broke up at me." He heard Carly gasp slightly.

"Why would she do that?"

"I don't know, that's the thing! I need you to come down here and figure out. I can tell when things aren't right, and something is _seriously_ wrong with my girlfr…well, I guess ex-girlfriend now."

"Freddie, can't you get someone down there to talk to her?"

"You know her better than anyone, maybe even me," he said firmly. "I really need your help on this one." He heard Carly sigh.

"Well, it's almost winter break anyway. I guess I could come down for that." She sighed again, and Freddie noted the sound of typing in the background. "I'm booking my flight now," she said unenthusiastically. "I'll be down there as soon as I can." Freddie smiled.

"You're the best, Carls."

"I've been told that."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Bye Freddie," Sam choked out, hitting the end button on her phone.

"What was that about?" Stacy asked worridly. "I thought you were going to tell him you were pregnant!"

"Shh!" Sam hissed. "I couldn't, ok?"

"Don't you need him to like, help you through this?" Sam whipped her head around to glare at Stacy.

"I can do this on my own. I don't need his help. It's not his problem anyway, why should I ruin his life?"

"Because he's your boyfriend? Because it won't totally ruin his life to know the truth?" Sam scoffed, standing up and wiping the lingering tears from her eyes.

"I don't need your preaching right now," Sam growled, heading towards the bedroom.

"It's not preaching!" Stacy shouted, standing up from the couch. "You probably ruined his life more now that you broke up with him!" Sam slammed the bedroom door shut in response. Stacy groaned and flopped back down on the couch. She knew Sam was independent, but sometimes it really got annoying how self-dependent she was. Stacy knew this was about more than just Sam not wanting to ruin Freddie's life with a child, but Sam had never exactly revealed her childhood to her room mate. Stacy sighed and stood back up, making her way over to the bedroom door. She gently knocked on the door.

"Sam," she called gently from outside the room, "what is this really about?"

"What do you mean?" Sam's muffled voice called from inside the room.

"You love Freddie, probably more than I've ever seen anyone love anyone else." She heard Sam scoff in reply. "Don't deny it, you know it's true! And I know that you're independent and whatever, but I also know you would never dump the kid on account of one little problem."

"Having a child isn't exactly a little problem," Sam answered. Stacy rolled her eyes.

"Regardless, are you going to tell me what this is really about or not?" Stacy heard silence from behind the door. She was about to sigh and walk away when the door slowly opened, revealing a very teary-eyed Sam.

"I've never told anyone except Freddie about my childhood," she whispered. "I'm not about to change that now. Just trust me when I say that leaving Freddie was what was best, for both of us." Stacy sighed and rolled her eyes again.

"Sam, you and I both know that's bullshit. You love Freddie, and Freddie loves you." Sam shrugged.

"Maybe it's time he found someone else to love." With that, she receded back into her room, closing the door behind her.

**A/N: I know I've only gotten a few reviews on this, but I hope that everyone who's reading this is liking it! If you have any type of feedback I'd love to hear it! R&R!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry it took so long guys! I've been pretty busy and have had a bit of writer's block for a while. Anyway, here's chapter 4.**

CHAPTER 4

~*5 Months Ago*~

The sun shone brightly through Freddie's bedroom window, waking Sam up from her much-desired sleep. She groaned and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Freddie stirred beside her in her movement.

"What time is it?" she yawned as she stretched. Freddie rolled over to look at the clock placed atop his night stand.

"10:25,' he responded. Sam flopped back down on her pillow, turning around and burying her face in it.

"It's too early," she grumbled. Freddie rolled his eyes.

"Get up," he said, rolling her back over. "You have stuff to do today anyway, remember?"

"Don't remind me," Sam griped, slowly sliding off the edge of the bed. Her feet landed with a very soft thud on the carpet.

"Just do it," Freddie begged. "I'm sick of you two fighting."

"She doesn't exactly deserve my forgiveness," Sam replied, digging through her suitcase to find clothes for the day.

"Sam, it was years ago. Besides, the important thing is we both know the truth and we're together again, right?" Sam sighed in protest.

"I guess you're right," she mumbled under her breath. Freddie smirked.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked playfully. Sam rolled her eyes.

"You're right," she said, her voice loud and irritated. Freddie smiled, slinging an arm around her shoulder and squeezing her briefly.

"That's what I thought," he teased. She stuck her tongue out at him and ducked out of his grip, heading towards the closet to change.

"I'll go talk to her when I'm dressed," she called from behind the closet door.

"Good," Freddie responded, throwing on a pair of jeans and a button up shirt. "You guys really need to sort this whole thing out."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam found herself outside the Shay's apartment, knocking impatiently on the door. Grumpy thoughts ran through her head as she stood tapping her foot, waiting for someone to answer the door.

"Why does my boyfriend have to be so damn adorable?" she muttered angrily under her breath. "If anyone else was telling me to do this, I wouldn't be here right now." Finally, the door to the Shay's apartment opened, revealing a very disgruntled Carly.

"Sam," she said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"My ass of an extremely cute boyfriend made me come," she grunted, pushing past Carly and heading for the fridge in the kitchen.

"Did you just call Freddie extremely cute?" Carly asked, closing the door. Sam had gotten her hands on some sort of food and was stuffing it in her mouth.

"I am dating the kid," she said around a mouthful of who-knows-what. Carly shook her head.

"Why are you here, besides by force?" Sam shrugged, walking out of the kitchen with a bottle of pop in her hand.

"I guess I just wanted to talk about what happened, about you basically breaking me and Freddie up." Carly winced.

"Yeah…now's probably not the best time to talk about that," Carly said. "I'm kind of in the middle of something."

"You seemed fine until I mentioned this," Sam accused, taking a drink from the bottle.

"Yeah but see…" Carly's sentence was cut off with a knock to the door. "I'm kind of expecting someone." She made her way over to the door and opened it. Behind the door stood Lizzie, her arms full of shimmery pink fabric, pins, scissors, and countless other sewing supplies. Sam stood in the middle of the room, speechless.

"Sorry," Carly mouthed as Lizzie walked into the apartment, dropping her load of sewing equipment down on the couch.

"I can't believe this," Sam said angrily. "You broke me and my boyfriend up a while ago, you won't let me forgive you, you really haven't apologized completely yet, and now you're hanging out with the girl who's responsible for it all?"

"We're not hanging out," Carly fought back. "She's fitting me for my bridesmaid dress. She is the bride after all."

"Whatever," Sam grumbled, heading for the door. "I'm leaving."

"Wait!" A voice called, causing Sam to freeze in her tracks. She whipped around, glaring at Lizzie.

"What?" Sam seethed. Lizzie sighed.

"Look, I'm really sorry what happened between you and Freddie. I just saw that Carly was upset and really wanted her friend back."

"And she couldn't have thought of any other way to make it happen?" Sam shouted. She noticed Carly back away slightly.

"Neither of us were thinking clearly," Lizzie defended. "I had just broken up with Spencer, she was a jealous mess." Lizzie walked up to Sam, looking down at her with emerald eyes full of sincerity. "I know that you and I haven't had a great past, but I would really like for us to start over."

"Why?" Sam asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Well, I can't have someone I hate be in my wedding now, can I?" Sam spit ou the sip of soda she had just taken, her eyes widening in surprise.

"What?" she managed to say through a coughing fit. Lizzie's eyebrows scrunched in surprise.

"You didn't tell her?" she asked, turning towards Carly. Carly shook her head feebly.

"Wow, thanks a lot Carls," Sam said sarcastically. Lizzie sighed.

"Spencer wants you and Freddie to be in the wedding, since you were like siblings to him. I said that it was a good idea, there was just the small fact that you still kind of hate me." Sam nodded, her mind still in a jumble. "I am really, very sorry about what I did to you and Freddie," Lizzie confessed, running a hand through her straight, honey-colored hair. "I really hope you can forgive me, even if it's just for Spencer." Sam stood at the door, her muscles tensed, contemplating what Lizzie had just said. Finally, Sam exhaled deeply, realzing her muscles.

"It was a long time ago," she mumbled. "The point is, he and I are back together. I guess I can forgive you." A smile began forming on Lizzie's lips as she ran up to Sam, enveloping her in a hug. Sam immediately pushed her off. "I don't forgive you that much," she said. "Take it in little bits at a time, alright?"

"Sorry," Lizzie said. "I'm just really glad there will be no hard feelings to ruin this wedding." Sam looked past Lizzie at Carly, who had taken a sudden interest in her shoes.

"Yeah," Sam grunted half-heartedly, her eyes slightly narrowing on her former friend, "no hard feelings."

**A/N: I'm pretty sure this chapter might feel a little rushed. It kinda felt that way to me, I just needed this little event to happen to continue with the rest of the story. So, hope it wasn't too terrible! Review if you'd like!**

**Xoxo~blondgurl**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, I'm hoping you guys are liking this fic so far! I don't have many reviews, but I'm assuming you guys like it so I'm going to keep going. **

CHAPTER 5

"A true friend never gets in your way unless you happen to be going down."

~Arnold H. Glascow

~*December*~

Carly shivered in the brisk December air, pulling her winter coat tightly around her. She trudged through the wet slush, trying to find her way around the unfamiliar city of Columbus, Ohio. She was looking for Sam's apartment, not really sure where to begin. She'd gotten the number and street name from Freddie, and the rest was up to her, as Sam still had yet to find out she was even in town. She groaned as the icy water from the snow on the ground seeped through her shoes, freezing her toes upon contact. She wondered what she was even going to say to her former best friend. She knew coming here was a terrible mistake; even if something _was_ wrong with Sam, Carly wouldn't be able to fix it. She hadn't spoken to the girl in months. Just as she was about to give up all hope, she came across a sign reading E 18 Ave. She sighed, turning down the small street and scanning the small houses for number 182. The wind blew aggressively in her face, and she bent towards the ground, pushing her way through the icy blasts. Finally, she reached her destination and jogged up the stairs to the front door, knocking timidly. It seemed like hours waiting in the frigid winter air until someone finally opened the door. She was a small girl, her head only reaching up to Carly's chin. She had short, straight red hair and vivid emerald eyes.

"Hello?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at Carly.

"Um…hi," Carly responded, searching for the right words to say. "Does Samantha Puckett live here?" The girl nodded slowly.

"She's my room mate. Who wants to know?"

"I do. My name's Carly Shay," she responded nervously, sticking out her hand. The girl ignored it, scoffing.

"I should've known." She looked over her shoulder, and then leaned back in towards Carly, lowering her voice. "Look, Sam is going through enough right now, and she really doesn't need the drama of her ex-best friend so I suggest you leave, now." Carly stood on the top step in front of the girl, mouth gaping.

"What's wrong with her?" Carly managed to stutter. The girl rolled her eyes.

"Just leave," she said, starting to close the door.

"Stacy, who are you talking to?" a voice called from the stairs behind the red headed girl.

"Great," Stacy mumbled under her breath sourly. "Nobody," she called over her shoulder to Sam, "she was just leaving." She shot a glare at Carly who continued to stand in front of the door.

"Who?" Sam called. Carly heard footsteps coming down the stairs. She braced herself for impact when Sam revealed herself from behind the door. Sam stopped in her tracks, staring at the pale faced, hazel-eyed, brunette girl on the doorstep. They stood where they were, staring at each other for the longest time.

"Hi, Sam," Carly finally whispered.

"What do you want?"

"I can't just come to visit my best friend?" she asked, her voice soft and innocent.

"You're not my best friend," Sam seethed, her voice dripping with venom. "You haven't been for a while, and you know it."

"Look, Sam, I know I made some mistakes in the past.."

"The 'past' was a few months ago, and any girl who does what you did is not someone I'd consider a best friend."

"Sam…"

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have some homework to finish," Sam growled, beginning to shut the door.

"Freddie sent me!" Carly blurted, causing each of them to freeze.

"W-what?" Sam choked out. Carly sighed, wringing her hands together nervously.

"Freddie sent me. He told me what happened. He thinks something's wrong with you."

"Everything's fine," Sam said, a little too quickly. Carly took a step towards her.

"Sam," she said, her voice quiet and gentle, "I'm sorry about what happened this summer. I'm sorry about everything I've ever put you through. I'm sorry for completely ruining your life…almost twice. I'm sorry I haven't always been there for you. You've always been like a sister to me, and regardless of what you may think, I know you better than anyone, except _maybe_ Freddie." Sam's glare on Carly began to soften slightly. Carly took that as encouragement to keep going. "I still care about you Sam, a lot. I know my past actions haven't exactly shown that, but I've grown up. If I could take it back, God _knows_ I would. I never meant to hurt you as badly as I did." Sam sniffed, turning her head away from Carly. "Sam…" she said tentatively, afraid to bring up the subject of the tears beginning to pool in the blonde girl's eyes.

"It's cold out," she said simply. "Maybe you should come inside." Carly felt a smile begin to spread on her face as she stepped into the small house. The warm air from the heater felt like a blessing against her frozen face and fingers. Sam shut the door, turning towards Carly. The tears that had been forming in her eyes were gone.

"You really hurt me," Sam mumbled. "I'm sick of people I think I can trust hurting me."

"You can trust me, Sam," Carly assured, beginning to shrug out of her heavy winter coat. Sam held her hand out to take the coat from Carly.

"You'll have to prove that, Shay," she said, beginning to jog up the stairs with the brunette following closely behind. They finally reached the second floor, and Sam opened the small wooden door separating the apartment-type area from the stair case. "Welcome to chez Sam and Stacy," she said dully, tossing Carly's jacket onto a spare chair.

"It's nice," Carly commented, looking around the unfamiliar room. Sam nodded.

"It's alright." Carly followed Sam over to the couch, both of them sitting down. Stacy had retreated to a bedroom, leaving Carly and Sam to talk. Sam sighed, looking over at Carly.

"So, Freddie sent you, huh?" she asked. Carly nodded.

"He's really worried about you." Sam rolled her eyes, leaning her head back against the couch.

"I've noticed," she replied.

"Sam, you two were completely in love, and believe it or not he's still totally in love with you. I can't understand why you'd just up and break up with him like that."

"It's complicated," Sam mumbled, her eyes still closed.

"It can't possibly be that complicated," Carly responded. "After all you two have been through, what could possibly be so terrible as to separate you guys?"

"AIDS, a nuclear holocaust, World War III, a baby." Carly's eyes went wide.

"Sam, are you…" Sam abruptly stood up, making her way over to the kitchen.

"Want anything to drink?" she asked. Carly slowly got up, making her way over to the kitchen where Sam stood.

"Sam…why didn't you tell anyone."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sam said, leaning into the open fridge to find a can of soda.

"You know damn well what I'm talking about Sam!" Carly nearly yelled. Sam stood up, a can of soda in her hand. "Why haven't you told him you're pregnant?" Sam shrugged, opening the can with a refreshing _crack_. She took a long sip, sighing as she gulped down the cool, caramel-colored liquid.

"I can take care of myself," she answered.

"But he's the father! Don't you think he deserves to know about his child?"

"The child is going up for adoption, so Freddie doesn't need to know a damn thing," Sam answered sternly.

"Sam, he's really worried about you," Carly said gently.

"I'm sure he'll still be extremely caring when he finds out there's a baby growing in his girlfriend's stomach!" Sam yelled, her voice oozing with sarcasm.

"Sam, he would be there for you from start to finish, and you know that."

"Funny," Sam scoffed, rapidly blinking back tears that threatened to spill down her heated cheeks, "my dad told my mom the same thing."

**A/N: I tried to make this one a little longer. Hope it was a little better than the last. These few middle chapters aren't so great because I'm trying to figure out how to get to what I want to have happen if that makes sense. Anyway, reviews are VERY MUCH appreciated so keep them coming! **

**Xoxo~blondgurl**

**Ps. I'm going to be changing my screename to Liz-Beth531 just so you all know! It's still me, just a different name. **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry about the slow updates guys! I'm super busy with band camp this month, and it's really hard to get things accomplished quickly. Anyway, here's chapter 6!! BTW, from now on I'll denote the time period just by saying what month it is. The past will be indicated with the word "last" in front of the month. **

CHAPTER 6

~*Last July*~

"Of all colors you could've _possibly_ chosen, you had to pick pink?" Sam complained, gasping slightly as Lizzie tightened a corset around Sam's waist.

"I like pink," she said simply, tying a knot tightly to hold the corsets in place and walking over to the couch of her apartment. "Besides, it matches all the flowers and whatnot." She picked up the satin dress and walked over to Sam. "Arms up," she ordered. Sam sighed, raising her arms above her head and allowing Lizzie to slide the silky fabric over her body.

"I feel like a flower, myself," she grumbled, looking at herself in the mirror full body mirror in Lizzie's living room.

"Sam, you look absolutely stunning so shut up," Lizzie said lightly, rolling her eyes. She grabbed a pin cushion off of the couch and stuck a few pins in her mouth. "Raise your hem," she said around a mouth full of metal. Sam lifted the dress until the bottom was barely touching the floor. Lizzie pinned it in place, taking special care to not stick Sam with the sharp metal objects.

"I'm definitely avoiding this color at my wedding," Sam said, eyeing herself in the mirror. "Maybe I'll go for more red or orange or something."

"How is Freddie, anyway?" Lizzie asked, her eyes still fixed on the fabric she was pinning to Sam's dress. Sam shrugged.

"Same as always," she said. "Still the biggest dork in the universe."

"You never grow up, do you Sam?" Lizzie asked playfully, securing the final pin in place. She stood up, eyeing Sam from head to toe. "Beautiful," she remarked. "Spencer is going to be psyched." Sam looked in the mirror again, holding her hair up in different positions, deciding how she liked it best.

"How's Carly?" she asked absently. Lizzie shrugged.

"I haven't seen much of her lately," she admitted, straightening a bit of Sam's dress at the bottom.

"Why's that?"

"She doesn't come out of her room much. It's really not much of a way to be spending the summer, but I guess since she is the maid of honor she has a lot of planning to do." Sam nodded, her mind trailing elsewhere.

"The dress looks great," she said, her tone changing suddenly. "I've got a lot of errands to run, so I'm going to have to go." She allowed Lizzie to pull the dress off of her body. "Thanks for everything," she added, reaching around to untie the corset from behind her. She let out a big sigh of relief as the tight material finally loosened from her waist.

"Come on back in a few days, I should have this thing tailored and everything," Lizzie said. Sam nodded, sliding a pair of jeans up her legs and buttoning them.

"I'll be here around Wednesday if that's cool," she said, sliding her t-shirt over her head.

"That's perfect. Good luck sorting things out with Carly!" Sam turned to her, her hand barely resting on the door knob.

"I never said that's what I was going to go do," she said, a little too roughly. Lizzie shrugged, a sly smirk forming on her lips.

"You never said it wasn't."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sam found herself in front of Carly's apartment door, pounding on it furiously. She could easily whip around, burst into Freddie's apartment, and forget this whole situation. She was half tempted to do just that when the door swung open.

"Geez, hold your horses," a familiar voice sighed in annoyance. Carly's eyes went wide as she looked at Sam. Sam stood awkwardly in the hallway, rocking back and fourth on her feet.

"Can…I come in?" she finally asked. Carly nodded, stepping aside and allowing the blonde access to her living space.

"Not to sound rude, but why are you here?" Carly asked, closing the door as Sam walked in. Sam sighed, flopping down on the Shay's couch.

"This fight is stupid," she said. "I was mad at you for hanging out with Lizzie or whatever, and now I'm doing the same thing with this whole wedding." She looked up at the brunette half-heartedly. "At least if we're going to be in this wedding together, we should try to stop hating each other."

"I've never hated you, Sam," Carly responded, making her way over to the couch and sitting next to her former best friend. "I'm really sorry about what I did to you and Freddie in high school. You two were meant for each other, and I guess I was just really jealous that he was taking my best friend from me. I guess I was also a little jealous that you had found someone that loves you so much, and I hadn't had a steady relationship yet." Sam nodded.

"It's alright, Carls. We forgive you." Carly face broke out in a wide smile.

"So, does this mean we can start hanging out again?" Sam raised her shoulder in an undecisive manner.

"Will you promise me ham whenever I want it?" Carly giggled, throwing her arms around the blonde girl.

"You really never change, do you?"

**A/N: So, I'm sorry about the lack of Seddie at the moment. I promise there will be some in more chapters!! I promise the next few chapters will be a bit more exciting. Anyway, hope you guys are liking this. Please R&R, even if it's not good, they're always appreciated!!**

**Xoxo~Liz-Beth**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Again, sorry about the slow updates! I'll try to update every night, or every other night, but sorry if I can't quite get around to it. Hope you guys are enjoying this fic anyway.**

CHAPTER 7

"For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

~*December*~

"She's _WHAT?!" _a deep baritone voice roared on the other end of the phone. Carly sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.

"Pregnant," Carly repeated, trying to keep her voice calm.

"I heard what you said!" Freddie yelled.

"Then why did you ask?"

"I'm kind of in shock over here! Why the _hell_ didn't she tell me?" Carly groaned in frustration, flopping her head backwards. She winced in pain as it made rough contact with the head of the hotel bed she was sitting on.

"Because of how you'd react?" she said, trying too hard to sound oblivious to Sam's real reasons for not telling him. "I don't know, she never gave me a straight reason." Freddie began grumbling a slur of incoherent obscenities.

"It didn't ever occur to her that maybe the father would like to know about his potential child?" he screamed.

"Why are you yelling at me?" Carly griped, closing her eyes tightly. "I'm not the one who's kept this whole thing a secret." She heard Freddie take a few deep breaths on the other end.

"You're right," he said, his voice calmer but very strained. "I'm sorry."

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Carly suggested. "She sure as hell won't open up to me."

"What _is_ it with you two?" he growled. "First, you're best friends, then you're worst enemies, then you're inseparable again, and now you can't stand each other. When will you guys just grow up and move on?"

"I've moved on perfectly fine!" Carly fought back. "It's Sam that won't let it go."

"Now you sound like a four year old," Freddie answered unenthusiastically.

"Just go freaking talk to her," Carly sighed. "I'm heading back home tomorrow, so there's not much more I can do here." Freddie exhaled deeply.

"What am I supposed to say?" he finally asked, his voice soft and composed. "Hey Sam, I hear you're carrying my unborn baby child, let's get back together? Then I'll just sound like I only want to be together because of the baby."

"She'd take that over not talking to her at all," Carly answered. "At least you're sort of showing you'd be there for her and the baby."

"Is that what she's afraid of? That'd I'd strand her with the baby as soon as I found out?" Carly didn't answer, but Freddie knew that was the reason. "Why would she _possibly_ think that?!" he exclaimed, his voice becoming more hysterical.

"DON'T ASK ME!" Carly yelled, enunciating each syllable separately. "Just go find her and ask her!"

"Fine," Freddie grumbled. He was silent for a moment, attempting to find the right words to say. "Thanks, for everything," he finally said.

"I'm always here for you," Carly answered. She flipped her phone closed, ending the call and leaving one of her best friends to fend for himself.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Freddie heard the line go dead. He sighed, flipping his phone closed with his chin and sliding it in his pocket. He stared up at his ceiling, attempting to find shapes in the rough pattern. At this point, everything just looked like Sam. He knew what he had to do, but couldn't find the nerve to do it. What if she turned him down, insisting she didn't need him and could take care of herself? What if she didn't love him anymore? What if she'd found someone more reliable that she could depend on? He shook his head, trying to clear out the morbid thoughts.

_She couldn't have found someone else this soon,_ he thought. _She wouldn't move on this quickly_. He knew he needed to stand up and go find her. He knew he needed to find her and assure her he'd always be there for her and the baby. His mind told him everything he needed to do, but his body wouldn't move. He grumbled in annoyance. Since when was it this hard for him to talk to Sam?

_Since there was the imminent threat she'd actually reject you?_ He couldn't argue with that thought. Finally, he felt his body begin moving, his legs seemingly carrying him wherever they pleased. He glanced at the clock on the windowsil of his dorm room as he shrugged his coat on. It was 2:54. Sam was almost done with her last class of the day. If he hurried, he could catch up with her before she left the building. He swiped his keys off his desk as he ran from his dorm room, running as fast as he could through the ice and slush that coated the ground of the campus. The icy winter wind whipped at his face, stinging his eyes and causing his nose to drip slightly. He ignored it, making a mad dash across the university. He was determined to find the girl he loved before she could get away from him again. He knew he'd win her back, no matter what stood in his way.

**A/N: This ending took a while for me to figure out. I couldn't add much more to this chapter because it would make it hard to coordinate it with the rest of the fic. So, sorry it's so short! Hope you liked it though, and didn't totally hate the ending. R&R!**

**Xoxo~Liz-beth**


	8. AN

**A/N: So, I haven't written in AGES and I figured I owed all of you an explanation as to why…**

**First of all, sorry that I'm making an A/N like a chapter, but I wanted you all to know I haven't given up on this fic! I am SOOOO overwhelmed with wind symphony, piano exams, homework, band, etc. that I hardly have anytime to breathe let alone write a fic! I promise that AS SOON as I get a free chance, I will pick this fic up right where I left off! I'm not leaving this one unfinished, it just might be a while before it's totally finished. Again, I'm really sorry guys! This is honestly the first bit of free time I've had in a long time…and I still have some stats homework to do! So, don't hate me! I promise I'll get the fic up as soon as I can! **

**Sorry again!! ******

**Xoxo~Liz-beth**


	9. Chapter 8

**A/N: OMG I'M FINALLY BACK!! So, normally I'd give you guys a bunch of excuses as to why I haven't been writing, but I'm pretty sure you don't really care. I've been SUPER busy with a whole ton of stuff (mentioned in my previous A/N) and I finally have no homework, so I'm able to update! YAY!! Hope you guys are still reading :-). **

CHAPTER 8

"Any intelligent woman who reads the marriage contract, and then goes into it, deserves all the consequences."

~Isadora duncan

~*Last August*~

Sam looked at herself in the mirror, a bundle of soft pink roses clutched in her hands. Light make-up dusted her face, and bright cherry gloss was smooth as silk over her lips. Her hair was up in a small up-do with golden curls cascading down her back. Carly stood next to her, adjusting her strapless pink dress around her waist.

"I hate you," she grumbled, fiddling with the bust of her dress. Sam furrowed her brow.

"Why is that?"

"Because you actually have boobs." Sam chuckled lightly. Carly stopped fidgeting and stared at herself in the mirror for a brief moment. She shrugged, deciding she was satisfied with the appearance of her dress and moved on to her hair. "I also hate you because your hair can take a curl."

"My hair is naturally curly…." Sam responded, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Carly replied, attempting to fluff out her silky, straight brunette hair.

"Carls, you look fine," Sam insisted. "You gotta be out there like, soon." Carly sighed, snatching the bundle of flowers she'd left on the dressing table.

"I know," she answered, heading out of the dressing room and towards the entrance of the sanctuary with Sam close behind her. She made her way to her place right next to Freddie. Since he was the best man, he and Carly would be walking down the aisle together. Carly had asked Sam repeatedly if she was ok with it.

"Carls, it's your brother's wedding," Sam had responded. "I think I'll live if you just follow the procedure of marriage."

Carly took a deep breath, looking over at Freddie.

"Ready?" she asked nervously. Freddie nodded, holding out his arm.

"It's time," he whispered. The doors opened, and Carly linked her hand through Freddie's waiting arm. She gasped quickly, trying to play it off as shock of her brother getting married. In reality, Carly had been gasping at the feeling she'd gotten when her hand connected with Freddie's arm. Her heart began to speed up as they walked down the aisle and suddenly, Carly wasn't at her brother's wedding anymore. She imagined walking down the aisle in a beautiful white dress with Spencer at her arm. She imagined Freddie in a tux, standing nervously at the altar, waiting patiently for his bride to be.

"Carly?" Freddie whispered. She smiled lightly to herself, still lost in her fantasy. "Carly!' Freddie whispered a little more loudly. She jumped slightly, turning to Freddie.

"Sorry, what?" she asked.

"You can let go of my arm now." Carly gasped, letting go of his arm as if it was on fire.

"S-sorry," she whispered, walking up to the altar and taking her spot next to where Lizzie would be standing. She grumbled silently, mentally kicking herself for even having thoughts like that about her best friend's boyfriend. Sam quickly took her place next to Carly, smiling warmly. Carly nodded slightly, turning back towards her brother. As the service carried on, Carly found herself staring across the altar towards Freddie's warm chocolate eyes. He had grown up so much since high school. He was bigger, more muscular, and completely, totally _hot._ She shook her head slightly, trying to clear the thoughts from her head. The new couple said their vows, and Spencer kissed the bride. Carly closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself before making her way back down the aisle. Once they exited the sanctuary, Carly was met with a bony elbow to her ribs.

"You alright, dude? You've been spacy through this whole thing," Sam asked. Carly opened her eyes, turning to face her best friend. She put the best smile she could muster on her face.

"I'm fine," she said, hoping her voice was reassuring.

"Well let's go!" Sam said. "We've only got a few hours until the reception and we have got to look hot." Carly giggled.

"You already have a boyfriend, who do you need to look hot for?" she asked.

"For my boyfriend!" Sam said matter-of-factly. She turned towards Freddie, smiling slightly. Freddie winked as he disappeared into the men's dressing room. "That boy gest me going," Sam growled. Carly laughed.

"You said the same thing about some kid in high school," Carly commented. Sam nodded.

"But this time I actually mean it." She turned to the brunette, a serious look spread across her face. "Carls, I'm seriously in love with this kid. This whole time I was imagining our wedding…me in the white dress….him kissing the bride…" her voice trailed off as a small grin spread across her lips. "I sound like such a pansy right now," she remarked. Carly rolled her eyes, hoping the guilty thoughts weren't showing in them.

"There's nothing wrong with imagining your marriage with the guy you love," she said softly. A half smirk formed on her lips. "You guys were made for each other, after all."

"You think so?" Sam asked, making her way back towards the dressing room.

"Sam, you've been dating him for, like, years now. Obviously you two were made for each other." Sam grinned, happiness shining in every crevice of her features.

"I hope you're right," she answered. "Who'd've thought I'd actually _want_ to spend the rest of my life wit Freddie Benson?" she asked hypothetically, giggling to herself. Carly nodded, her face blank.

"Yeah," she said absently. "Who'd've thought."

**A/N: Wow it's been a while since I've written. I'm kind of tired, so I'm not sure how well this chapter flows. But, R&R and I promise I'll try my absolute hardest to update whenever I can!**

**Xoxo~Liz-Beth**


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: I tried to get this chapter up last night, but I'm sick and was pretty hyped up on cold medicine so I couldn't really think straight. Right now I'm a little hyped up on sleep-deprivation, but I promised you all an update. If it totally sucks, I'll probably fix it at some point when I'm not loopy out of my mind :-). Anyway, here's chapter 9.**

CHAPTER 9

"A friendship can weather most things and thrive in thin soil; but it needs just a little mulch of letters and phone calls and small, silly presents every so often-just to save it from dying out completely."

~Pam Brown

Carly could feel the delightful buzz of drunkenness beginning to fill her head. Without Spencer's knowledge, she had been sneaking alcohol into her punch and soda throughout the whole reception. She wobbled over to the table where her two best friends sat, staring intently at each other as if nobody else were in the room. Carly felt like puking, but maybe that was just all the booze in her system.

"Sup, guys?" she asked, slightly aware of the slur in her words. Sam looked up at her, her eyebrows furrowed.

"You alright, Carls?" she asked suspiciously. Carly giggled like an idiot.

"I'm _fine,_" she insisted, drawing out the word a little too long. "I can't just come talk to my best friends on a whim?"

"Have you been drinking?" Freddie asked. Carly placed a floppy hand on his shoulder.

"A little," she said, followed by another batch of obnoxious giggles. "It's a party! Who isn't drinking?"

"You're not 21," Freddie said sterny.

"Oh, Freddie," Carly sighed, running her hands lazily through his hair, "you're such a goody-two-shoes." Freddie rolled his eyes

"I think you've had enough," he said. Carly shook her head vehemently.

"Come dance with me," she said, attempting to pull him up from his chair. "You're being boring right now; you need to have some fun." Freddie shot a glance at Sam, as if asking if it was ok. Sam shrugged.

"Knock yourself out," she said unenthusiastically. Carly chuckled with glee as she led Freddie out to the dance floor. Sam watched them intently as Carly moved in time with the music against Freddie. She felt a wave of jealousy pass through her, but she quickly shrugged it off. Carly was drunk, and Freddie was hoplessly devoted to Sam; it wasn't like anything terrible was going to happen. Carly's hips flowed flawlessly to the beat, her short black dress swishing quickly against her perfect, tanned legs.

"You're a great dancer," Carly slurred, smiling at Freddie. Freddie nodded in response.

"So are you," he answered politely. A mischevious grin formed on Carly's face. She placed Freddie's hands on the edge of her skirt, moving in such a way that his hands began to trail up her hips, taking her dress with him. He quickly backed away.

"What are you doing?" he asked. She grinned again, moving closer to him.

"I'm just dancing," she said as innocently as she could muster. "Is that so wrong?"

"Kind of," Freddie said, gulping nervously. He was hoplessly in love with Sam, but a man can only take so much from an attractive woman like Carly. She seemed to see this thought in his eyes.

"I'm not trying to come between you and Sam," she said, sticking out her lower lip slightly. "I just want to have some fun." Before anyone could stop her, she grabbed Freddie by his shirt collar and pressed her lips forcefully against his. Then, chaos errupted in the reception hall.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"What the _hell_ did you think you were doing?" The fiery blonde screamed at her friend from the privacy of her appartment.

"I was just having some fun," Carly defended, shrugging. She wobbled over to the sofa and flopped down.

"Fun? _Fun?_" Sam screeched. "You just about made out with my boyfriend on the dance floor!"

"We didn't make out," Carly said, rolling her eyes. "We just kissed a little."

"No, _you_ kissed _him_. He had nothing to do with it."

"He wanted me. I could see it in his face." Sam felt the nails of her clenched fists dig into her palms.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?" Sam growled through clenched teeth.

"Sam, I'm your best friend. It's not my fault if your boyfriend wants me. I just gave him a little taste." She winked playfully at Sam.

"You are _not_ my best friend, you bitch," Sam seethed, breathing heavily. It took all of her willpower to not tackle Carly to the floor and beat the living shit out of her. Carly gasped at Sam's words.

"How could you say something like that?" she asked, hurt reflecting in her eyes. Sam took a deep breath, trying to calm her animalistic instincts.

"I never want to see you again," she said, her voice sounding extremely strained. "Send your brother my congratulations. I'm going home tomorrow." With that, she exited the Shay's appartment, slamming the door hard enough to shake the frame violently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Carly sat outside of Freddie's appartment the next morning, waiting for him and Sam to emerge. Her vision was blurring at the sides due to the intense throbbing in her head, but she tried to ignore it. Patching things up with Sam was a little more important than a killer hangover at the moment. After what seemed like hours, the door to Freddie's appartment finally opened, revealing a very unkempt couple. Carly stood up, looking at both of them pleadingly. Sam shot her a glare and began walking down the hall without a word.

"Sam," Carly begged. "Sam, just hear me out." Sam sighed heavily and whipped around.

"Ten seconds," she growled.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for what happened last night. I was drunk, I wasn't thinking. You know that if I were sober I wouldn't have done anything like that!"

"Really?' Sam asked, raising an eyebrow. She scoffed. "You've always had a thing for Freddie, I could see it in your face ever since last summer. As I recall, you wanted to date him since day one! In my view, you meant everything you said and did, it just took the alcohol to give you the courage to do it." Carly was taken aback by the painful truth emanating from her best friend.

"Sam, I…."

"I meant everything I said too," she said sternly. "A real friend wouldn't do that shit to me. So, whatever. I don't need you anymore." She turned on her heels and began walking down the hallway, refusing to look back. Carly looked pleadingly at Freddie, but he just shook his head.

"I'm sorry Carls," he said softly. "Maybe this is for the best." With that, he followed his girlfriend down the hallway, neither of them looking back at the mess of their former best friend.

**A/N: Like I said, I'll read it again when I'm not all loopy, and if it's not that awesome I'll probably re-do it. For now, R&R!**

**Xoxo~Liz-Beth**


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: Hey guys! I finally have a computer that works!! Before I was using my mom's work computer, and I couldn't always get on it. So, hopefully now I'll be able to update more quickly because our home computer finally works!! Sorry this took soooooo long guys. I appreciate you sticking with the story!! It should be finished soon!**

CHAPTER 10

"Love is like war: easy to begin, but very hard to stop."

H.L. Menken

~*December*~

Freddie tapped his foot impatiently, standing outside the doorway of Sam's currently class. He knew she had College Precalc 101 at this time during the day, and hoped to god she had shown up for class. He stared at the clock placed at the end of the hallway, his heartbeat quickening with every tick of the second hand. After what seemed like an eternity, the minute hand reached the 2 o'clock mark, and a wave of students poured out from the classroom. Freddie quickly scanned over the mob, trying to pick out wavy blonde locks and a pair of vibrant blue eyes. Finally, he spotted her towards the very back of the group. He called out her name, but she either didn't hear him, or pretended she didn't hear him. He groaned, beginning to push past people to reach her. He finally grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She looked him up and down, a look of surprise washing over her face.

"What are you doing here?" she asked monotonously.

"I needed to see you," he said, his voice in a hushed tone. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, you saw me. Now bye." She began to walk away, but his grip on her shoulder was too strong. "_What_?"

"I need to talk to you," he said seriously, looking her straight in the eye. She sighed, looking down at the ground.

"There's nothing to talk about," she mumbled. Freddie clenched his teeth, looking around to make sure none of the other students were evesdropping.

"You know damn well there's a lot to talk about," he growled, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm taking you back to my place, and you're giving me the full story."

"Freddie, I have homework…"

"It's Friday. You have the whole goddamned weekend to do homework." He grabbed her by the wrist forcefully, while still trying not to hurt her, and began leading her out of the building and towards his apartment.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Why the _hell_ didn't you tell me?" Freddie shouted as he slammed the door behind him. Sam held both of her elbows in her hands, looking down at the ground.

"Tell you what?" she mumbled, hoping that he wasn't talking about her small situation.

"You know _damn_ well what!" he yelled, moving towards her quickly. His face had begun to turn red with anger. He was inches from her face when he began yelling again. "Why the _hell_ wouldn't you tell me you're pregnant? Didn't we always agree to go through everything together? Didn't we always agree to share everything with each other?" Sam nodded slowly, rapidly blinking back the tears that threatened to spill over her cheeks.

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," she answered lamely, trying to keep her uncaring, strong demeanor. Freddie threw his arms in the air in aggravation.

"Last time I checked, being pregnant is a pretty huge fucking deal!" he yelled. Sam winced, hoping nobody else in the apartment building could hear him.

"I can handle it myself," she answered, still not looking him in the face.

"Don't you think I at least deserved to _know _about my potential child?! Didn't it occur to you that, being the father, I might like to know about this?!"

"What if you're not the father?" Sam asked, immediately questioning why the words had even come out of her mouth. In the years she and Freddie had been together, cheating had never even come close to crossing her mind. Freddie's jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. He began to stutter, attempting to find the right words to say.

"Wh-what?" he finally choked out. Sam sighed, shaking her head. "Sam…" his voice trailed off in disbelief. "I can't…I can't believe you'd do that to me." Sam groaned in frustration and flopped down on the couch.

"I didn't." she cried, putting her head in her hands.

"Then why did you say…."

"I don't know!" she shouted, her voice muffled by her hands. "I thought maybe if you thought it wasn't your's, you'd leave me alone and let me take care of it by myself." Freddie walked over to the couch, sitting gently next to Sam.

"Why are you so convinced you need to do this on your own?" he asked quietly. She shrugged.

"I never needed a man in my life before you. I don't want to start depending on one now," she answered, picking her head up. Freddie sighed.

"Because of your father?" he asked. Sam hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"He told my mom he'd always be there for her when she was pregnant with me," she whispered, staring into space. "He told her he'd never leave, and that he'd support her and me throughout our lives. The day I was born, his bags were packed, and my mom never saw or heard from him again." Freddie gently placed his hand under her chin, slowly turning her head to face him.

"You don't think I'm like that, do you?" he asked quietly. Sam shrugged.

"My mom didn't think he was like that, either."

"Sam, you can't base your life off of what some guy did to your mom. I mean, what he did is terrible, but not every guy is like that. Some guys stay true to their promises." He looked deeply into her bright blue eyes that had been overcome with a devastating amount of sadness.

"I guess I just wanted to know I was able to do it on my own," Sam whispered. "I wanted to remind myself that I was strong enough to not need someone in my life. I wanted to know that I could still survive if you left me." Freddie cupped both of Sam's cheeks in his hands, gently stroking them with his thumbs.

"You forgot to account for the fact that I'd never leave you, especially when you needed me most."

"But that's the thing too…I didn't want you to feel obligated to stay with me just because I was…you know…" Sam couldn't get herself to say pregnant.

"I wouldn't feel obligated, Sam," Freddie assured her. "I'd be with you because I wanted to be; because I love you. Look at me." Sam trailed her gaze back up to Freddie's eyes. "I love you Sam, more than anything else in the world. A baby isn't going to change any of that. If you decide to put it up fro adoption, I'll be there to hold your hand every step of the way. If you decide to keep it, you'd better believe I'd show up at your doorstep with a diamond ring, and I'd be there through every phase of the baby's life."

"You don't deserve to have a baby ruin your chances of a future," Sam said quietly. Freddie shook his head.

"It would do just the opposite," he said, "because my future is you. No matter what I'm doing, whether it's flipping burgers for the rest of my life or working at the topmost computer security company in the world…as long as I'm with you, I'll be happy." Sam sniffed lightly as tears began to line the bottoms of her eyes. "I'll be there for you forever because I want to be, not because I feel like I have to be. No matter what you decide, I'll be there to back you up 100%." Tears began to trail down Sam's pale cheeks.

"I don't want to be pregnant, Freddie," choked out. "I don't want to go through all of this. I don't want to have a baby, or be a mom, or any of that."

"There's always adoption," Freddie said. Sam nodded, scooting closer to him and lying her head on his shoulder.

"Life is happening too fast," she sighed. Freddie wrapped his arms tightly around her, nuzzling his face gently into her hair, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.

"Yeah," he mumbled into her blonde locks. She looked up at him, cupping his face with her palm and placing a gentle kiss on his lips. He sighed in content, smiling as she pulled away. "I've missed you," he whispered.

"I've missed you too," she answered. He opened his eyes, looking back down at her. "You promise you'll always be there for me, no matter what?" she asked. He nodded intently.

"I would never, ever leave you," he assured her. She placed her head back on his shoulder.

"I'm not ready for all of this," she sighed sadly. He took her in a strong embrace once again.

"Neither am I."

**A/N: So, sorry again that this took so long. I'm really glad you guys are still keeping up with it!! R&R!!!!!!**

**Xoxo~Liz-Beth**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: After much deliberation and reading and re-reading of my story, I've decided that I need to end it. I know it kind of seems like a bad time, but I want to move on from this story, and I'm suffering some MAJOR writer's block. So, here's the prologue. Hope you all enjoy!**

Chapter 11

"Don't marry the person you think you can live with; marry only the individual you think you can't live without."

~James C. Dobson

~*1 Year Later~*

Sam stared at her reflection in the mirror, an anxious frown plastered on her face. She ran her fingers through the curls in her hair for what felt like the millionth time in the past hour, trying desperately to get them to fall perfectly over her face. A figure appeared behind her in the reflection. She turned to look at it.

"You're sure you're ready for this?" Carly asked. Sam took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm nervous," she replied, "but I've never been more sure of anything in my life." Carly nodded.

"Well, I'd better head on down there." She held out her arms, gesturing for Sam to walk into them. Sam walked over, accepting her friend's warm embrace.

"Good luck," Carly whispered. Sam nodded.

"Thanks." The girls pulled away, each one smiling at the other nervously.

"I'll be waiting right here after the ceremony."

"I'll hold you to that," Sam said, turning towards a set of double doors. She heard the faint traces of organ music beginning to play through them. "That's my cue." Carly nodded, an eager yet sad smile forming on her face.

"Ready?" A male voice asked from next to her. Sam turned to look at Spencer. She nodded, hooking her arm through his outstretched one.

"As I'll ever be," she answered. The doors opened, and the familiar tune of "Here Comes the Bride" began echoing throughout the church. The congregation stood and turned towards the door, earnestly staring at Sam as she began her walk down the aisle with Spencer at her side. It came as no surprise that she had asked him to give her away on her wedding. He was, after all, the closest thing to a father she'd ever had. After what seemed like hours, they approached the altar and a very nervous looking groom.

"We are gathered here today," the priest began, "in the sight of God and angels, in the presence of friends and loved ones, to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition of beauty and love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Freddie Benson and Samantha Puckett in marriage. Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage, they must speak now or forever hold their peace." He paused for a moment. When nobody spoke out, he continued:

"Who is it that brings this woman to this man?"

"I do," Spencer answered. He gently placed Sam's hand into Freddie's outstretched palm and took a step back. Sam gingerly ascended the few steps until she was level with Freddie. The priest continued with his sermon as Sam stared lovingly into Freddie's eyes. She couldn't believe this day had finally come-the day she became part of Freddie Benson's life forever. The priest turned to face Freddie.

"Do you , Freddie Benson, take Samantha Puckett to be your wife? Do you promise to love, cherish, honor, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only her 'till death do you part?"

"I do," Freddie answered sincerely. Sam felt her heart skip a beat.

"And do you, Samantha Puckett, take Freddie Benson to be your husband? Do you promise to love, cherish, honor and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only him 'till death do you part?"

"I do."

The priest continued with his sermon. Sam knew she should've been paying attention to what he was saying, but her mind was a whirlwind of emotion. It wasn't until Freddie took both of her hands in his that she began paying attention again. He looked deep into her eyes, reciting the all-too-familiar words of marriage:

"I, Freddie Benson, take you, Samantha Puckett, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as we both shall live." Sam swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling tears begin to line her vision.

"I, Sam Puckett," she began, her voice slightly shaky, "take you, Freddie Benson, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, as long as we both shall live."

"The couple will now exchange rings." Freddie softly slid the cool piece of metal over Sam's delicate finger.

"With this ring," he said, his voice smooth and velvety, "I thee wed. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen." Sam repeated the process, trying to calm her shaking hands as they slid the ring over Freddie's finger. The priest continued with a reading from the Bible, the lighting of the candles, and a closing prayer. Finally, the priest approached the closing words.

"Freddie Benson and Sam Puckett in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, you have promised your love to each other by these vows, the giving of these rings, and the joining of your hands." Sam began to feel warm tears cascade down her face. "I now declare you husband and wife. May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up his countenance unto you and give you peace." He looked quickly back and fourth between the couple and smiled. "Congratulations, you may now kiss the bride." Freddie smiled, drawing Sam close to him. Before she could protest, he quickly turned sideways until she was bent almost parallel with the ground and kissed her passionately. The congregation cheered happily as the couple stood up.

"I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Benson." Freddie held out his hand, and Sam eagerly took it. Joyous smiles spread across their faces as they quickly made their way down the aisle. They burst through the double doors to find Carly waiting for them, a small child in her hand.

"Congratulations you two," she said happily, her voice soft. Sam looked down at the sleeping form in Carly's arms. "I finally got him to settle down and go to sleep," she explained. Sam nodded. She gingerly brushed the baby's cheek with her fingers.

"Can I hold him?" she asked quietly.

"Why, of course." Carly held the baby out to Sam, who gently took it in her arms. "Mr. and Mrs. Benson, I present to you your son."

**A/N: If that was confusing, Sam kept the baby and she and Freddie are raising it together. Hope you liked the story! I actually plan to write another one soon, which is why I wanted to end this one. So, again, hope you enjoyed and keep looking out for me!!!**

**Xoxo~Liz-Beth**


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